Connecting device.



' T. E. MURRAYV CONNECTING DEVICE. APPLICATION mum 00T.16, 191a.

Patented July 21; 1914.

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operate with the socket contact plates when is a longitudinal section of my connection "UNITED STATES THOMAS MURRAY,

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Specification of Letters l atenti Application'flled October 16, 1913. Serial No. 2,406.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS E. MURRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at. New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain, new and useful Improvement in Connecting Devices, of which the following is a speci- The invention is a connecting device,comprising a fixed socket and a removable'plug adapted to enter said socket and establish circuit from the source of charging; current to the battery.

The device is more especially designed for use in charging the storage batteries of electric automobiles. A hollow cylindrical socket has two longitudinally placed contact plates which are wholly inclosed therein, and similarly there are two contact plates wholly inclosed in the plug but which cothe plug is placed in the socket. The inclosingof the contact plates in the socket and plug prevents all danger of chance contact with them both when socket and plug are separated and when they are in cooperative position. The. construction is further such that the plates in the plug are disposed. in two mutually insulated compartments, so that when the plates in the socket are in cooperation with them, the insulating partition forming the barrier between'said com-v partments and extending diametrically across the plug prevents any jumping of spark between'the pairs of cooperating con- In the accompanylng drawings Figure 1 device on the line w, be of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the socket, the shell 16 being removed. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the plug and a part of the socket on the line i1 3 of Fig. 1, the partition and contact p ates being in elevation and the battery conductors beingremoved. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the socket showing the ivoted cover, and in dotted lines the plug contact lates cooperating with the socket contact plates. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the open end of the plug.

Similar numbers and letters ofreference indicate like parts.

The device is in two parts, namely, a fixed socket containing contact late's' communicating with the source of charging current, and a plug adapted to enter said socket and having contact plates cooperating with the contact plates therein, the plug contacts being connected to suitable conductors leading to the battery to be charged.

The socket portion is constructed as follows: 1 is a tubular casing of metal, with which may be integrally formedthe projecting side lates 2, having openings for the reception of bolts or screws, by which the device is secured to a Wall or other suitable support. 011 one end of the casing 1 is formed a lug 3, which receives the. pivot bolt 4 of a cover 5. On bolt 4 is a spring 6 which engages with said cover and said lug and normally tends to hold said cover in position to close the end of the casing. A stop 7 on the cover strikes the casing when the cover is in closed position, and prevents it being carried past said position by the action of the spring. A cylindrical block 8 of; porcelain or other suitable insulating material is inserted in casing 1, so that the end of said casing bears upon a shoulder on Said block. The casing is secured to the block by a trai'xsverse bolt 9. ,The block beyond the shouldered portion has recesses 10 on opposite sides, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Extending through-block 8 and projecting into said recesses 10 are parallel metal contact plates 11, 12, to which are secured by binding screws 13 the conductors 14 leading from source of charging current. The contact plates 11, 12*are secured t block 8 by countersunk screws 15 and project beyond the end face of midblock to receive between t e p ug, hereafter described. A tubular metal shell 16 covers the block 8 and is provided with an insulating bushing 18, through which pass the conductors 14.. It

Patented July 21, 1914.

is to be observed that the contact plates 11 tube 0 tudinal partition B, wedge-shape in. cross section and extending diametrically across said tube Said partition is suitably'shaped' to produce on opposite sides and at a distance from its inner thin edge, two projections D which are undercut on their transverse sides. Contact plates E cover the faces of said projections and are. bent at their opposite edges to engage with the undercut sides of projections D with a loose fit, so that said plates may be supported and set out resiliently by the helical springs .F seated in countersinks in the. faces of i plates E. The plates E have extensions G which extend in front of the opposite faces of the body Grportion H of the partition. T0

means of the conductors J extensions are fastened b screws I, the terminals 0 which lead to the battery to be charged.

Countersinks K are provided in the -:faces of body portion H to allow of play for pro-1.

truding. ends of the screws due to inward and outward movement of the resiliently supported plates E. Openings L in tube A ing circuit from conductors. 14 to conduc-- tors J. The contact plates are set inclined so as to make them cooperative in only one position of the inserted plug,and when the plug is in place in the socket, as shown in Fig. l, the cooperating contacts -become wholly inclosed.

The partition B divides the space within the plug into two compartments, and when the plug is in place, as shown in Fig. 1, the end of said partition meets the insulating block 8 in the socket. The pairs of cooperating contact plates, therefore, become inclosed in mutually insulated compartments, so that jumping of sparks between said pairs is prevented.

- '1 claim:

. l. A connecting device, comprising a socket, and a removable plug ;'the said socket comprisinga cylindrical casing, a block of -insulating material'closing oneend of said I socket.

casing, contact plates extending through said block and into said casing, and means for connecting circuit terminals to said plates, and said plug comprising a tubular 'shell fitting in said socket casing, a longi.,

tudinal partition in and extending diametrically across said shell, projections on oppo- "site sides of said partition having undercut transverse opposite ends, contact plates covering the faces of said projections and bent at their edgegto engage said undercut ends, and means for connecting circuit terminals to said plates: the contact plates in saidplug cooperating with the contact plates in said socket.

2. A connecting device, comprising a socket, and a removable plug: the said socket comprising a cylindrical casing, a

block of insulating material closing one'end ofsaidcasing, contact plates extending through said block and into said casing, and means, for connecting circuit terminals-to said' plates, and said plug comprising a tubular shell fitting in said socket casing, a longitudinal partition in and extending diametrically across said shell, projections on opposite sides of said partition havingun- .dercut transverse opposite ends, springs seated in recesses in the faces of said pro- 1ect1ons, contact plates ooverlng said faces and compressing said springs and bent at" their edges to engage said undercut ends,

and means for connecting circuit terminals '1 to said plates: the contact plates in said plug cooperating with the contact plates in sa'i In testimony whereof I have. afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- THOMAS E. MURRAY.

Witnesses:

GERTRUDE T. PORTER, MAY T. MCGARRY. 

